On 3 March 2026, Ripple introduced an upgraded Ripple Payments platform that consolidates fiat and stablecoin transactions into a single end-to-end system for institutions. The service, powered by the RLUSD stablecoin and technology from recent acquisitions, is live in more than 60 markets and has processed over $100 billion in volume. The company supports its institutional offering with over 75 licenses worldwide, including approvals in the US, EU, and UK.

On 3 March 2026, a draft bill submitted to Turkey's Grand National Assembly proposed a 10% withholding tax on realized crypto gains and a 0.03% levy on transaction value. The plan would make regulated platforms responsible for quarterly tax collection from both individual and corporate investors while granting the president authority to adjust the withholding rate between 0% and 20%. The proposal also introduces VAT exemptions for taxed crypto deliveries and aligns tax definitions with the existing Capital Markets Law.

Ethereum plans to introduce native smart accounts in the second half of 2026 through the Hegota upgrade. The proposal EIP-8141 would merge wallet and contract accounts, add gas fee flexibility, and embed programmable security. Hegota follows Glamsterdam in H1 2026 and may also ship FOCIL to curb validator-level censorship.

Markets face a packed early‑March slate spanning U.S. jobs data, Big Tech events, and policy milestones. ISM prints arrive March 2, ADP and an NVIDIA appearance land March 4, the SEC holds a closed meeting March 5, and February Nonfarm Payrolls hit March 6. Broadcom earnings and UK FCA’s March 12 consultation deadline add further catalysts.

On 1 March 2026, Bitcoin rebounded above $67,000 with a 2.2% gain in 24 hours, while total crypto market capitalization reached $2.3 trillion. Ethereum advanced nearly 4% to reclaim the $2,000 level and Solana jumped close to 6%, even as sentiment indices remained in "extreme fear" territory.

On February 28, 2026, eleven U.S. senators asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to conduct a federal review of Binance's sanctions and AML controls. The letter cites reports of about $1.7B in crypto allegedly linked to Iranian entities and raises concerns over potential Russian sanctions evasion, while Binance disputes the claims.

On February 27, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs swung to $27.5M in net outflows after two strong sessions, while Ethereum products recorded -$43.0M. Smaller moves included a $1.3M inflow to Solana ETFs and a $2.21M pickup for XRP, with issuer-level flows led by IBIT (-$32.7M) and XRPZ (+$2.21M).

On February 27, 2026, MoonPay, PayPal and M0 unveiled PYUSDx, a developer framework for creating application-branded stablecoins backed by PayPal USD. Tokens are issued by MoonPay Digital Assets Limited, which holds a New York trust license, and the first live project is USD.ai, focused on machine-to-machine payments; PYUSDx tokens are distinct from PYUSD and are not usable on PayPal or Venmo.

On February 27, 2026, the OCC finalized a rule that broadens permissible activities for national trust banks, with implementation set for April 1, 2026. The update allows crypto trust banks to offer custody and safekeeping as a primary business, with firms such as Ripple, Circle, Paxos, and Crypto.com holding conditional approvals.